Mackskalatjärnen

Character of the water

Mackskalatjärnen lies in central Sweden — a nutrient-rich lowland lake. In summer a thermocline settles around 5 m and splits the lake into two worlds.

The surroundings

The lake sits close to town with a road right up to it — easy to reach, but hard-fished and exposed to nutrient runoff from the buildings and fields all around.

Moderately deep (10 m) — shallow bays, the odd reef and a deeper channel through the middle.

Permits & rules

Fishing permit required — Mackskalatjärnen FVOF. Day permit ~100 kr · annual permit ~500 kr.

• Zander: minimum size 45 cm · protected during the spawn (Apr–May).
• Pike: keep at most one over 75 cm per day.
• Handheld tackle only. Respect the protected zones at the inlets and outlets.

Fishing Mackskalatjärnen

perch, pike and zander sit at the top of the food chain in Mackskalatjärnen, carried by roach and bream. The nutrient-rich water means plenty of baitfish — and predators that grow fat on them.

The fishing here follows the water's own rhythm: dawn and dusk have their windows, fronts close and open them, and the season moves the fish. No two sessions at Mackskalatjärnen are alike.

General rules of thumb for this kind of water

• Stratified, oxygen-poor lakes push the fish up above the thermocline in summer.
• Nutrient-rich lakes hold plenty of baitfish but often murky water.